The invention relates to a differential drive having a differential carrier rotatably supported in a differential housing. Two axle shaft gears are rotatably held in cylindrical bores in the differential carrier and arranged coaxially relative to each other. A plurality of differential gears are in an axis-parallel arrangement supported in an axle-free way in bores in the differential carrier. One group of the differential gears engages one of the axle shaft gears, while another group of the differential gears engages the other axle shaft gear. The gears of the one group of the differential gears engages at least one of the gears of the other group of differential gears, respectively.
In differential drives with differential gears supported on their tooth tips in the housing bores, a self-inhibiting effect is present as a result of the friction forces occurring at the differential gears. The friction forces are caused by radial component tooth forces which occur at the differential gears. If the differential gears are uniformly distributed about the axle shaft gear circumference, the axle shaft gears are substantially centered between the differential gears. As a result of the centering, circumferential play is present circumferentially at the tooth tips of the differential gears relative to their cylindrical bores so that the desirable friction forces are generated exclusively at the tip heads of the differential gears if the friction conditions are disregarded at the end faces.
Based on the above, it has been proposed to distribute the differential gears unevenly around the axle shaft gear circumference. This distribution generates a considerable high radial force as a result of the tooth forces acting on the axle shaft gears. The objective is to achieve a substantial increase in the locking effect of the differential drive due to the friction between the tooth tips of the axle shaft gears and their cylindrical bores in the differential carrier. This design has certain disadvantages. For example, in respect of the balance of masses and the necessary reduction of differential gears, one disadvantage is in the reduced number of differential gears as compared to the maximum possible number of gears from a construction point of view.